1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing control device and a washing control system which can control washing processes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional washing machines equipped with microcomputers allow the user to select a control pattern for several washing processes by means of a button operation, so that the user can make their selection taking into account the nature of the clothes to be washed (such as the kind of fibre and kind of weave) and the extent to which the clothes are soiled, and so have the clothes washed accordingly. As examples, the duration of the wash cycle can be selected as twelve minutes, six minutes or three minutes, heavily soiled clothes can be washed after first being soaked, the duration of the spin cycle can be selected as five minutes, three minutes or one minute, flowing water rinse can be selected for clothes which require a gentle rinse, one or two rinse cycles can be selected, and the strength of the rinse action can be selected as standard or soft, so that the content of the wash control program, and therefore the wash program which is executed, can be set according to the wishes of the user.
Furthermore, there are also washing machines which feature a number of wash menus in order to simplify the button operation for the user, so that when the user presses a button to select one of the wash menus, the washing program will be executed according to the selected wash menu. If, for example, the machine is provided with a number of washing programs, such as a standard cycle, a fast cycle and a wool cycle, then the duration of the standard cycle may be forty minutes, the duration of the fast cycle may be thirty minutes, and the duration of the wool cycle may be fifteen minutes, with the wash control to be executed for each of the different menus being set beforehand.
However, in recent years, the number of washing agents on the market which require the execution of processes which differ from those for conventional detergents (these include, for example, washing agents which enable a same level of washing results as dry cleaning to be achieved using a conventional washing machine) and the number of garments made from fibers which require washing processes which differ from those for conventional fibers (for example, highly-absorbent diaper covers) have increased, so that the washing control programs provided in conventional washing machines are no longer up to the task of dealing with such washing agents or garments.
As such garments and washing agents have come onto the market, new washing methods have also been developed. As one example, Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. 63-154196 teaches a washing control device which uses a light sensor to investigate the penetration of the detergent and controls the duration of the wash cycle based on changes in this amount, as well as on the type of detergent used, this being detected by measuring the electrical conductivity of the detergent.
However, even if such a washing control device is used, it cannot be said that the most suitable washing program for different fibers or for different washing agents will be executed. As a result, a method can be conceived which uses a programmable washing machine controller, so that the washing machine can be operated in accordance with the washing agent to be used, the fibers in the garments to be washed and the precise washing program control instructions of the user. However, the installment of such a programmable controller will inevitably lead to an increase in the number of button operations and an increase in the complexity of the wash menus, so that the user will be forced to make complicated button operations, making the device totally unsuitable for use as a domestic washing machine.